When thinking about the United States as an upstart country, as it was in Washington Irving’s time, certain basic terms and images come to mind, as they were taught in primary school: puritans and pilgrims, Indians, untouched landscapes, new settlers (in this case Dutch), and so on with things of that nature. Accompanying these terms are some more abstract ideas. The notion of freedom, the American dream, hard work, self-interest, and the concept of rebelling against an unmatched power also develop an overall attitude toward this young nation. In Irving’s “Rip Van Winkle,” these ideas do not get the attention one would expect, or rather, they do not get the kind of attention one would expect. There is a certain apathy given to the very attributes
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In his slumber, he misses not only the death of his wife, the marriage of his daughter, the birth of his son, but also the entire American Revolution. These things were all but to him a dream, other people’s dreams, as they exist now in the past and only in memory. In fact, Rip Van Winkle isn’t said to have dreamt at all in his long sleep. These unfolding dynamics start to shed light on the attitude expressed toward this new nation. The American dream is only for those who are fortunate to have it, to remember it, and to care about it, as it is often only the pursuit of money and power. In Rip Van Winkle’s case, he missed out. Life, for him, is needless of historical context. Is he a federalist or a democrat? He says, “I am a poor quiet man, a native of the place, and a loyal subject of the king, God bless him!” The king here is never mentioned by name, which leaves some space to further assume that the Kaatskill mountains reign over him. This idea has greater significance when considering that, while almost everything has changed in his societies’ “true history,” the mountains still stand—day after day, signaling a consistent and invaluable history, hinged upon “legendary lore.” As it happens, this lore is now more real to him than the history of others, as he can only gather what the world is from story and second-hand
In his slumber, he misses not only the death of his wife, the marriage of his daughter, the birth of his son, but also the entire American Revolution. These things were all but to him a dream, other people’s dreams, as they exist now in the past and only in memory. In fact, Rip Van Winkle isn’t said to have dreamt at all in his long sleep. These unfolding dynamics start to shed light on the attitude expressed toward this new nation. The American dream is only for those who are fortunate to have it, to remember it, and to care about it, as it is often only the pursuit of money and power. In Rip Van Winkle’s case, he missed out. Life, for him, is needless of historical context. Is he a federalist or a democrat? He says, “I am a poor quiet man, a native of the place, and a loyal subject of the king, God bless him!” The king here is never mentioned by name, which leaves some space to further assume that the Kaatskill mountains reign over him. This idea has greater significance when considering that, while almost everything has changed in his societies’ “true history,” the mountains still stand—day after day, signaling a consistent and invaluable history, hinged upon “legendary lore.” As it happens, this lore is now more real to him than the history of others, as he can only gather what the world is from story and second-hand